Improvement in mules for spinning



mam rtmzvo. 92,958,- dzcaz .razy 27-,18c9.

IMPROVEMNT IN MULES FOR SPINNING.

The Scheule referredto in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may conce'rn:

Be it known that I, O. J. GREENE, of Olneyville, in the county of Providence, and State of Ithode Island, 'have invented new and useful Improvements in Self- Acting Mules; and I do .hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference' being had to the aeconipanying drawings, forming part of thisA speciiication.

This invention relates to improvements in self-acting mules, such as are known as Masonls mules, the object of which is to provide more simple and reliable hacking-od and winding-on motions. x

The Mason mnie has always been more or less uncertain in its hacking-off and winding-on mechanisms, which are so arranged, with reference to one another, that they are liable to come in contact, often resulting in breakages, and also sometimes producing irregularity of speed, causing it to miss hacking ofl'.

Now, my improvements are designed to overcome these difliculties, the two motions being so separated that they cannot come into contact'with each other, and the back-off motion is so arranged as to be substantially a positive movement.

In the first place, the fi'iction-shaft is changed from the centre to near the front end of the head-stock, and the top rack, the rocker, and lever that works on the rocker, the back-Oli' springs, the large lever to which the springs are attached, the ratchet and cam-wheel' of the Mason mule are dispensed with, and a quadrant gear is-placed on the rock-silent, taking into a gear on the hub of the friction-shaft, and an apparatus provided for throwing the fifiction-hub into gear at. the same time, or previously to the time that the rockshaft is set into motion to effect the hacking off, the rock-shaft being operated in the same manner as in the Mason mule.

A means is also provided for throwing the frictionclutch out when the hacking od' has been 'accomplished The winding on. is effected by-means of a loose pinion, on the friction-shaft, provided with means for clutching intogear (and also unclutching at the proper time) with the ii'iction-shaft, which pinion derives motion from a wheel, on a shaft parallel with the fn'ctionshaft, deriving motion by a chain attached to a drum thereon, and passing over a pulley, on a stud-pin,on the main rack, and thence on to the Scroll-cam, on the end of the said main rack, as in the Mason mule.

Figure 1 of the (h'awings represents a side elevation of a portion of a head-stock, representing about twothirds of the same;

Figure 2 represents a plan view, with some parts broken away;

Figure 3 represents a transverse'seetional elevation of the same, taken on the line x x of fig. 2; and

Figures 4 and 5 are detail views.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the friction-shaft, which I arrange near v the -front of the head-stock, as represented in the draw-i G represents the hacking-Oli` rock-shaft, to the arm r H of which a rockingmotion is communicated, at the proper time, to effect the backing oif. The said rocking motion being communicated` thereto in the manner common to mules of this class, does not, therefore, need further description.

I represents a quadrant-gear,' taking into the gear E, on the hub of the fi'iction-clutch, and communcaf ting motion thereto, when it is clutched-into the shell O, by the mechanism which wii! now be described.

K represents a portion of the belt-shipper working on the stud L, as in the Mason mule, to the lower end of the spindle of which-the arm M is secured, and connected, at its outer end, to the rod, N, connecting with the arm O of a-bell-crank, working on a stud P, on the front beamof the frame.

The other arm,^Q of the bell-crank takes into the groove, in the hub of the friction-gear.

This bell-crank is arranged on its axial stud, so that it may rise and fall thereon, and. itis raised byalever, R, moved 'by a pin, S, in the face of the wheel E, at the same time that a projection, T, on the opposite side of the wheel, having an inclined face, strikes a fixed stud, U, throwing out of gear the fi'iction-clutch, and stopping thebacking-off motion.

When the shipper-lever is' moved, to throwthe main driving-belt from the first fast dxiVing-puIIey, which causes theearriagel to run out,.and the draWing-rollers and the spindles to operate, to the second fast drivingnpulley, which causes the last series of Operations to take place, consisting of the `winding on and the drawing in of the carriage, and during the interval, while the said 'belt is passing'the central loose 'pulley, the

bell-crank O Q receives from the shipper the movement to throw the friction-clutch into gear, and, at the same time, the rock-shaft G- is set into motion, by moi tiou communieated to its arm H, thereby rotatingthe pulley B in the direction to cause the movement of the spindles to back off.

This motion continues until the' clutch' is 'discounected, by the action of the lever R and the stud T, as above described.

At the time the rocker-armhas performedits full movement, the slotted arm V, through which the rocking motion is transmitted to the rock-shaft G, is caught by a hook, W, on the side of the frame, which holds it in that position until the retnrn-movement of the carriage disconnects it, at which moment a spring, X, throws the rocker-'arm back toits position, ready to pcrforin the next hacking-off movement.

The same movement disconnects the winding7on mechanism, as will be presently described.

On the fi'iction-shaft Ais a pinion, a, capable of running loosely thereon, when disengaged from the roseclutch b, fe. thered to the shaft, and provided with a forked lever, d, takingV into a groove in the hub `of the clutch b, and having a constant tendency to clutch the two together, by the action of a spring, c.

. The said level` d is pivoted to a stud-pin, e, and the v lower end extends into the path of 'a' cam, on the rock-shaft G. 4

The pinion a gears into a wheel, g, on a'shaft, h,i arranged parallel with the friction-shaft, and having a drum, i, to which the chain j is connected, and around which it partially winds, running to the pulley k, on the main rack Z, and thence to the Scroll-cam m, fixed tothe concentric wheel n, pivoted to the end of the main rack, and to which the chain p is secured, which, through the medium of the sliding nut q, on the screw 'r, regulates the winding-on motion, and is an arrangement common to mules. o When the cam'age is moving back, the chain j communicates motion, through the wheel g, pinion a., and shaft A, to the pnlley B, in the direction to wind the yarn on the spindles, and this continues until the carriage, having arn'ved near the return-position, discounects the catch W, and allows the backing-oif or rocker-' shaft G to be returned by the action of the spring X, which brings the cam into action on the lever d, causing it to throw the rose-clutch out of connection with the pinion a, and thus stop the winding on, when the machine is ready to commence running out again under the fast-motion apparatus.

The drum is provided with a balance-weight, al, and belt a, for keeping the chain taut.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the quadrant-wheelI, of

,the rocker-shaft, with the gear E, for Operating the frietion-shaft to ba'ck ofi' the yarn from the spindles, sub

stantially as described.

2. The combination, with the shipper-lever K and the friction-clutch, of the gearing-mechanism, consisting of the bell-crank O Q and connecting-apparatus, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with the hell-Crank O Q, of the lever R, actuated by a pin on the wheel E, substantia-lly as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, with the friction-shaft A, of the drum when arranged relatively to each other, and to the'man rack, and provided with aetuating-mechanism, snbstantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination, with theclutch-pinion a, of the shifting-lever d, arranged to be act'nated by the return movement of the rocker-shaft, substantially as and for the purpose described.

The above specification of my invention signed by me, this 2d day of October, 1868. i

0. J. GREENE.

Witnesses:

HoRAon OLARKE, Finn). COWPERTHWAITE. 

